Peter Rudnick Picks Peppers In Petaluma

Peter has been a traveling grower of peppers and other Solanaceae (potato and tomato family) for the past few years, farming in the East Bay, Bolinas, and Petaluma, on choice pieces of rented farmland. This year, in partnership with Allstar Organics and local farmer George Beltrametti of B & B Farms, Peter has produced three acres of the most incredible sweet and hot peppers around. Three acres of pepper fruits is a lot for one guy to manage from seed to delivery, and Peter has done it all this year, along with help from his wife Wendy Johnson and son Sean Rudnick.

Peter has been at this a while, managing a farm here and there, and has accumulated about as much time in the dirt as anybody else. This current gig is a brilliant combination of collaboration and skill on more than one level.

First, there is a partnership with Marty Jacobsen from Allstar Organics. Peter grows and sells exclusively to Marty. “We have a good relationship and business agreement,” says Peter, “I grow them the best certified organic peppers around, and he pays me well.” Couldn’t be much simpler than that.

Marty and Peter lease the acreage from local Petaluma farmer George Beltrametti, also at a fair price. George has been around a long time and has a really tidy vegetable farming operation in West Petaluma. George himself grows squash, onions, pumpkins, and garlic in the light sandy loam. He and Peter are happy with the arrangement, and it works well for both farmers.

This kind of cooperation between the three partners is a good model for those of us who don’t own land outright. It can be a challenge to find good farmland, access, and water around here, but it can be done. Cooperative ventures like this are helping to get more fresh local food into the local foodstream.